Richard Steele

Richard Steele is an award-winning host and correspondent for WBEZ Chicago Public Media, where he contributes interviews and reports to Eight Forty-Eight, The Afternoon Shift, World View, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, wbez.org, vocalo.org and special programming.

Since joining WBEZ in 1987, Richard has hosted a number of acclaimed programs over the years including The Richard Steele Show, A Richard Steele Friday, Page Two, Performance Space and Eight Forty-Eight.

Prior to joining WBEZ, Richard hosted many successful Chicago radio programs, including The Morning Connection on WVAZ 102.7 FM and Late Night, a talk and music forum on WGCI 1390 AM. He has hosted popular shows on WBMX 102.7 and WVON 1450 AM, and became “The Real Steele” on WGRT (950 AM) AM, where he progressed to program director shortly after the station's transition to WJPC 950 AM.

Richard is vice president and board member of the local American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and a board member of the Chicago Association of Black Journalists. Richard attended Harold Washington College in Chicago.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Richard resides in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago with his wife, Jera. They have two children and four grandchildren.

There’s a conversation that nearly all African-American families have had for decades. Children were told they had to be mindful of all their activities around white people so they wouldn’t be judged to be a negative stereotype. And modern families still struggle with whether these ideas are still valid.

Oedipus El Rey, which runs through July at Victory Gardens Theater, is modeled after the Greek classic. But in this version, Oedipus is a young ex-convict trying to become the king of gangland in South Central L.A.